1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a module-structure for roof trim, and more particularly to a module-structure for roof trim to enable, when a roof trim is to be installed to the interior side of a roof panel, accessories to be fitted to the interior side of the roof trim including assist grips, a housing for a room mirror and brackets for sun visors, to be fitted at the same time and the number of interior components to be reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
The usual configuration of the roof of a vehicle body is such that a roof trim is arranged on the interior side of a roof panel and various accessory parts including assist grips, a bracket for a room mirror and brackets for sun visors on the interior side of the roof trim are installed. A structure for fitting an assist grip, which is fitted to a side edge of the roof trim to help the passenger keep his or her body upright when the vehicle is turning a sharp curve or the like and cited here as one example of such accessory part, and the roof trim to the roof panel will be described with reference to FIG. 13. In the drawing, a roof trim 1 is formed in a slightly curved panel shape, and is configured by adhering a surface skin material 1b, such as cloth, over a trim base 1a having an appropriate shape-holding property.
To fit the roof trim 1 and an assist grip 2 to a roof panel 3, first the roof trim 1 is pinched between an assist grip base 2a and a clip base 4a of a clip 4, and fixed with a screw 4b. Further, after positioning the roof trim 1, to which the assist grip 2 has been fitted, relative to the roof panel 3, the roof trim 1 and the assist grip 2 are integrally fitted and fixed to the roof panel 3 as shown in FIG. 14 by securing the clip 4 to an attachment hole 3a of the roof panel 3.
In such a module-structure in which the roof trim 1 is simultaneously fitted, in a state it is pinched between the assist grip base 2a and the clip base 4a of the clip 4, to the roof panel 3 together with the assist grip 2, it is difficult to insert the clip 4 into the attachment hole 3a of the roof panel 3 because the direction of fitting to the vehicle body is about 45° different from the fitting face of the roof panel 3, and this constitutes a major factor to deteriorate the workability.
There is pointed out another problem that, when the roof panel 3 is installed with vehicle body units (such as harnesses, feeders, brackets and curtain type air bags), they may be set in the part denoted by sign a in FIG. 13, with the result that the clip 4 may interfere with these vehicle body units on the fitting locus of the roof trim 1, making modularization difficult unless a sufficient clearance is secured, which means a serious spatial constraint.
To solve these problems, the present applicant previously filed a patent application for an improved module-structure for the assist grip 2 to be fitted to the roof trim 1. According to that invention, as shown in FIG. 15, on the back side of the roof trim 1 to which the assist grip 2 is to be fitted, a resin-made side bracket 5 is fitted either mechanically, for instance by push-on-fixing, or by ultrasonic welding or the like. On the other hand, retainers 6 provided at the two ends of the assist grip 2 are temporarily held in an opening for fitting to the roof trim 1 and the side bracket 5 via claws 6a. 
An iron clip 6b is fitted to the tip of each of these retainers 6 with a screw 6c. In a state in which the assist grip 2 is held on to the roof trim 1 via the claws 6a of the retainers 6, the module-structure of the assist grip 2 for the roof trim 1 is realized by snapping the iron clips 6b provided on the fitting end side of the retainers 6 into the attachment hole 3a of the roof panel 3 at the same time as the roof trim 1 is fitted to the roof panel 3.
The above-described module-structure of the assist grip 2 for the roof trim 1 makes it possible to avoid interference with vehicle body units fitted on the body panel, and seems to promise smooth fitting work for accessories including the assist grip 2. However, as this configuration requires fixing of the iron clips 6b with the screws 6c to the retainers 6 provided at the two ends of the assist grip 2, the number of components involved is larger, which invites a higher cost and a deterioration in assembling workability.
An object of the present invention, attempted in view of this circumstance, is to provide a module-structure for roof trim permitting, when a roof trim is to be installed to the roof panel, simultaneous fitting of assist grips, a bracket for a room mirror and brackets for sun visors. The structure makes it possible to avoid interference of the roof trim with vehicle body units fitted on the body panel, and to lower the cost while enhancing the workability of assembly by reducing the number of components.